The Alabama Scout Blog provides insider information and scouting notes from the PBR Scouting Staff during the season. This running blog will feature information on underclass prospects, unsigned seniors, draft prospects, and anything else that is notable. We will provide a wide range of information, including player evaluations, velocities, pop times, home to first times, and more. 

Continue to check back over the course of the playoffs, as the Alabama Scouting Staff will add scouting reports.

 

Round of 32 Reports

 

 

6A Spanish Fort (4,6) vs. 6A Opelika (1,0)

Friday April 23rd @ Opelika High School

+ RHP Cameron Keshock (2022, Auburn) hasn’t logged as many innings as other pitchers this year, partly due to coming back from basketball earlier in the season, but the junior right-handed pitcher looked fresh and ready to go in his Game 1 start in the 1st Round the 6A Playoffs. Standing 6-6, 215 pounds, Keshock is an imposing specimen standing on the mound with a quick arm stroke out of a high ¾ slot. He opened up sitting 87-89 mph with the fastball, and even touched 90 mph two times on the gun in the early innings. Quick arm action out of the high ¾ slot gives way to some arm side action on the pitch. Paired the fastball with a tight-spinning 74-75 mph breaking ball that buckled a few right-handed hitters using it to front-door hitters. Settled down to more 86-87 mph in the later innings before exiting with the lead in the 4th inning on 88 pitches (50 strikes). Command faded a bit missing up and arm side to start the 4th inning, but gave the Toros all they needed to earn the Game 1 victory. Finished tossing 3.1 IP, 6 H (all singles), R, 3 BB & 9 K’s. 

RHP Cameron Keshock (4/23/21)

+ OF Pierce Dutton (2023) just recently moved down to Spanish Fort this past year and has quickly inserted himself as a key part of the offense for the Toros heading into the 6A Playoffs in his sophomore season. Dutton is an athletic left-handed hitter that can “go get it” defensively playing center field. Possesses excellent instincts in all facets of the game, and is a tough out hitting at the top of the Toros’ lineup. Medium, high-waisted 5-10, 160-pound frame with solid bat-to-ball skills hitting against both right and left-handed pitchers. Starts with the bat held out in front of the body before gathering weight back pre-pitch, then efficiently shifts weight forward on the swing with a level bat path to hit hard line drives to all fields. Finished the doubleheader sweep going 3-8 w/ a double, two RBI’s, a run scored & a stolen base. Low pulse player that is playing with maturity beyond his years. Hitting right around the .400 mark for Spanish Fort.

OF Pierce Dutton (4/23/21)

+ 3B/RHP Matthew Thompson (2022) led the charge offensively in the Game 1 win for Spanish Fort, then hopped on the mound in Game 2 and tossed a complete game shutout to complete the sweep for the Toros. Hitting towards the bottom of the lineup, Thompson provided a big spark in big situations to push across numerous runs in his first two at-bats. Singled to bring home the first Toro in the 2nd, then dropped the head on an inner-half fastball to drive home two more in the 4th for a double. Short stroke from the right side and keeps the back elbow close the body to hit balls the other way. Inside-out approach and hits for line drives to all fields. Finished Game 1 going 2-3 w/ a double and three RBI’s. Fastball worked up into the low-80’s in Game 2 and kept hitters off balance with a sharp & deceptive low-70’s breaking ball. Never seemed to break a sweat, going 7 IP, H, 0 R, BB & 5 K’s in the Game 2 victory.

3B/RHP Matthew Thompson (4/23/21)

 

 

6A No. 8 Hartselle (5,7) vs. 6A Buckhorn (3,1)

Friday, April 23^rd @ Buckhorn High School

+ 3B Peyton Steele (2024) continues to prove that he belongs near the top of pure hitters in the Alabama ’24 class. In Game 1, the freshman came up big for the Tigers as he was 2-3 with two doubles. One of those doubles was smoked to the pull-side gap and the other saw him show a very disciplined approach by hammering a ball on the outer-half of the plate to the backside. In Game 2, Steele worked a very deep count and tripled to the pull side gap which allowed us to see the speed from the young prospect. The approach is very compact and he does a solid job of staying inside contact. A ’24 hitter that continues to ascend in terms of ability.  

3B Peyton Steele (4/23/21)

+ RHP JT Blackwood (2022) is just another quality arm the Hartselle Tigers can put on the mound, as he was ultra-impressive on Friday. Blackwood entered the game with two on and one out in the bottom of the 6^th inning with the Tigers clinging to a 4-3 lead. The junior RHP quickly got back-to-back K’s to thwart the rally. Blackwood did allow a leadoff single in the 7^th inning but then struck out the next three hitters he faced. Working from a high ¾ slot, the junior showed quick arm action while locating the fastball to both sides at 86-87 mph, while bumping 88 mph twice. While the fastball can be termed “electric”, it is not his best pitch. The breaking ball is devastating and shows very late action with sharp bite. The pitch disappears in the lower half of the zone and every hitter that offered swing well over the top of the pitch. A definite swing and miss pitch. A big time arm that seems to have just exploded on the scene. A dominant performance.    

RHP JT Blackwood (4/23/21)

+ OF Eli Snelson (2021) hits in the leadoff spot for the Tigers and shows the ability to drive the ball to all fields. The speedy outfielder is a threat with his speed and covers a ton of ground in the outfield. Snelson was 3-7 during the doubleheader and showed the ability to handle pitches on both halves of the plate, while also being equally adept to drag bunt or push bunt to use his speed to reach the 1B bag. Once on the bag, Snelson will be taking the bag soon as he was able to steal 2 bases on the day. Really solid set of skills as the senior does just about everything right.

OF Eli Snelson (4/23/21)

+ OF Coleman Mizell (2023, Alabama) is a physical freak that continues to show a short path to contact with plenty of juice off the barrel. There is not a ton of movement in the setup as Mizell shows a very solid, simplified approach and simply lets the present strength in the hands work through contact. The barrel stays on plane well through contact and the swing is synched up well. The entire approach is simple, yet powerful. Although nursing a small ankle issue, Mizell had no problem showing the speed tool once on the bases with a stolen base to help lengthen the Tiger lead. Although very advanced now, Mizell still has a ton of projection down the road.   

OF Coleman Mizell (4/23/21)

+ RHP Elliott Bray (2022, Auburn) has continued to make strides on the mound as he features an above average arsenal of pitches. The junior right hander simply attacks the zone form an over-the-top arm slot. Because of the arm slot, the 6-2 junior creates nice downward tilt on the fastball, making it difficult for hitters to stay on plane with the pitch. Bray seemed to live to the glove side with the fastball, but also showed the ability to go in to right hand hitters with some arm side action. The fastball was consistently located down in the zone at 88-89 mph, topping 90 mph. The pitch seemed to show some late life, partly because he paired it with a wipeout breaking ball at 74-76 mph that he mixed in at any time. The pitch shows true 12/6 action form the arm slot and was consistently buried down in the zone. Hitters didn’t show the ability to lay off the pitch and it is presently a swing-and-miss option for Bray.

RHP Elliott Bray (4/23/21) 

+ RHP Dylan Campbell (2022) did a nice job of mixing quality pitches and keeping a talented Hartselle lineup off balance in Game 1. He seemed to never break a sweat as the delivery seems effortless while he continued to repeat clean mechanics pitch after pitch. Because of this, the ceiling on the right hander seems to be high as he should continue to add size and strength to his lean build. Campbell featured two solid pitches as the breaking ball tunneled well off of the fastball. The right hander kept his velocity throughout the outing (83-85 mph) as he did show some arm side action with the pitch. Coupled with a late breaking curveball, the fastball seemed to get on hitters a little quick than expected. The curveball was 74-75 mph as he continued to bury it down in the zone. Impressive outing for the junior.

RHP Dylan Campbell (4/23/21) 

+ 1B Luke Price (2022) has come through in big moments for the Bucks this year and he showed that polished offensive approach in Game 2. The junior 1^st baseman shows a very simple approach at the plate as there is not a ton of movement in the setup. Price shows a balanced, but fairly wide stance and a controlled load of the hands. He showed a direct path to contact with the barrel with slight tilt in the bat path, creating some backspin and carry. Liked the way he kept the barrel through contact as he collected three hits in three at-bats in G2.

1B Luke Price (4/23/21)

 

 

6A No. 3 Cullman (13) vs. 6A Hazel Green (7)

Saturday, April 24^th @ Cullman High School

+ OF Matt Brock (2021) is an athletic outfielder that continues to set the table for the Bearcat offense as the big bats continue to drive him in. The senior outfielder has continued to produce at a high level during the second half of the season and Saturday was no different. The approach is very simple as he continues to get the barrel to the hitting zone with ease. Brock does show a mostly level flat bat path but can also hit for power as he shows plenty of juice to both gaps, including a double on Saturday.

OF Matt Brock (4/24/21)

+ SS Brennen Norton (2021, Jacksonville State) has been nothing short of brilliant during his senior campaign as the bat plays at a big-time level. The unquestioned leader of the team, Norton also leads with the bat as well. Small leg kick approach allows him to really use the lower half, creating torque through the hitting zone with backspin off the bat. Norton shows a mostly pull-side approach and has definite strength in the hands with the ability to leave the yard on any swing. 

SS Brennen Norton (4/24/21) 

+ DH Kaleb Heatherly (2022) is an imposing figure at 6-7 250-pounds in the box and the bat is just as imposing for the run-producing machine. The junior annihilated a ball on Friday night (Grand Slam) as this affected the pitches he saw to hit the rest of the series. During Game 3 on Saturday, he was intentionally walked two times. There is no doubting the immense power to the pull-side but Heatherly also showed plate discipline as he hammered a double down the right field line in Game 3. For the series, Heatherly was 5-10 with two doubles, a home run and six RBI’s.

DH Kaleb Heatherly (4/24/21)

+ 3B Austin Hurt (2021) has a very simple approach at the plate and does a phenomenal job of handling the barrel in all parts of the strike zone. Hurt shows a very simple approach at the plate and does a nice job keeping the barrel through the hitting zone. He is equally adept at handling balls on the outer half of the plate as he is getting the barrel to contact on the inner half. While Hurt does handle the bat to all fields, he can also get on balls with some juice too both gaps.

3B Austin Hurt (4/24/21)

+ 2B Paxton Ponder (2023) is an athletic middle infielder that continues to produce at a high level with the bat and the glove. With the glove, Ponder shows a ton of lateral range to both sides with plenty of arm strength to make the play behind the bag at 2B. One particular play saw the sophomore range deep to his glove side where he laid out, fielding the ball and finishing the play on a throw from his needs. He actually made a very difficult play look fairly routine. Ponder has a big of tilt in the bat path but shows a definite middle of the field approach. The young prospect has some intriguing power off the barrel as he collected 2 doubles on Saturday. A young prospect that continues to trend upward.

2B Paxton Ponder (4/24/21) 

+ C Daniel Stewart (2021, Wallace Hanceville) was 4-4 on the day as he showed the ability to hit to all field. He opened the game up with a double over the centerfielder’s head and later showed legitimate plate discipline as he was pitched away and simply let the barrel work and did not try to do much, hammering a few balls off the bat to the backside. Stewart showed a very disciplined approach and didn’t seem to chase out of the zone with a true understanding of the strike zone, as you would expect from a catcher. Stewart also showed above average arm strength behind the plate with a quick transfer on the throw.  

C Daniel Stewart (4/24/21)

 

 

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